Compact fluorescent lamps have some benefits in comparison with classic light bulbs.
It is lower power consumption (to 80%) and much longer lifetime (5 to 15 times).
Disadvantages are longer starts mainly at more expensive types, impossibility to use
darker and price.

Fluorescent lamps are available usually in these color temperatures:

Warm white (2700K)

Cool white (4000K)

Daylight (6000K)

Most often we meet with "warm white", which is close to classic bulb and which
is most pleasant to people.
Compact fluorescent lamp use vacuum pipe similar to classic strip lamp and
princip of energy transformation to light is same. Tube has on both ends
two electrodes faced with Barium. Kathode has high temperature about
900 degree Celsius and generates many electrons which are accelerated by
voltage between electrodes and hits atoms of Argon and Mercury.
There arise low temperature plasm.
Overflowing energy mercury radiate in a UV light form. Inner side of tube
is faced with luminophore, which transform UV light in to the visible light.
Tube is powered by alternating current, so that function of electrodes
(cathode and anode) is still changing.
Because there are used switched converter, which works on tens of kilohertz,
that CFL lamp doesn't "blink" in comparison to classic strip tube lamp.
Converter, which is present in a screw cap, substitute classic ballast
with a starter.

R6, C2 and DIAC mades first pulse to base of transistor Q2 and cause
his opening. After start is this section blocked by diode D1. After every
opening of Q2 is discharged C2.
There is not possible to collect enough energy for reopening of diac.
Next are transistors excitated over very small transformer TR1.
It consists of ferrite ring with three windings (5 to 10 coils).
Now are filaments powered over capacitor C3 from voltage rises from
resonant circuit from L1, TR1, C3 and C6.
Than the tube lights up is resonation frequency specified by capacity of C3,
because he has much lower capacity than C6.
In this moment is voltage on a C3 over 600V in a relation to used tube.
During start is peak collector current about 3 to 5 times bigger than
during normal operation. When the tube is damaged, there are hazard
of transistor destroying.

When the gas is ionisated in a pipe, C3 will be practically shorted and thanks
to this frequency goes down and changer is now drived only by C6 and changer
generates much lower voltage but enough to keep the light on.
In a normal situation, when transistor opens, that current to TR1 increasing
until his core is saturated and next his feedback to base drop away and
transistor closes. Now opens second transistor which is excitated by
reversly connected windind of TR1 and all process repeats.

Common failure is broken capacitor C3. it is possible mainly at cheap lamps,
where are used cheaper components for lower voltage. Whet the pipe doesn't
lights up on time, there are risk of destroying transistors Q1 and Q2 and next
resistors R1, R2, R3 and R5. When lamp starts, changer is very overloaded
and transistors usually doesn't survive longer temperature overloading.
When the pipe serve out, electronics is usually destroyed too.
When the pipe is old, there can be overburned one of filaments and lamp doesn't
lights up anymore. Electronics usually survives.
Sometimes can be pipe broken due to internal tension and temperature difference.
Most frequently lamp fails, when power on.

Repair of electronics usually means change of capacitor C3 if he is brobek.
When burns fuse, probably will be damaged transistors Q1, Q2 and
resistors R1, R2, R3, R5. You can replace fuse with resistor 0R5.
Failures can be multiplied. For example, when is shorted capacitor there can
be thermally overloaded transistors and will be destroyed.
Best transistors for replacing of original types are MJE13003, but it is not
easy to find them. I replaced them with BD129, but they are not available now.
There exists other variants like a 2SC2611, 2SC2482, BD128, BD127, but I am
not sure if they will be long-life.
Original transistors are not available on our market. If doesn't matter size
of case TO220, it's possible to use transistors MJE13007.

Lamp is usually compounded of two parts.
One is plastic cover with holes for pipe and bills.
Tube is agglutinated to it.
Second much bigger piece has slots for bills from the inner side.
Inside is printed circuit board with components and wires from tube.
From the upper side of PCB are wires to top of lamp, where are soldered
or stamped to the contact.
Both plastic parts are clicked to himself and sometimes glued.
Usually you can carefully leverage with a small screwdriver sequently to round
to the gap between both plastic pieces for releasing of glue.
Next you must leverage more to the opening lamp.
For closing of lamp you can only click both plastic pieces to himself.
Look at photo of opened lamp.

Most of these compact fluorescent lamps use same or very similar wiring.
more expensive lamps use a little complicated wiring with electrode preheating
and thanks to it they have longer lifetime.
Repairing of these lamps not pay off, because price of cheaper types are
very low now and price of human work is much higher.
Wiring diagrams originates while repairing of lamps and they are only
for study or repair uses.
Informations are from retracing of lamps and from sources in a link section.

Lamp PHILIPS ECOTONE 11W use again simplified wiring like a Isotronic lamp.
This lamp compared to other has a right dimensed components, that electronics
probably can live longer. Wiring is less cheated than others. It has coil L2
for blocking HF interference and capacitor C1 for voltage 1200V, which is
very much stressed. Tube is superior compared to a no-name types.
Light color "warm white" brings light of classic bulb and doesn't have a small
pink tone like others. Tube is a little longer and have much light compared
to others 11W types. All these lamps, which I have from several series have
identical color tone and brilliance.
Compared to lamps MAWAY, where every item have different color tone, some
have destroyed electronics, some have pipe with a lost vacuum etc...
It is seen, that lamps from marked manufacturers have guaranteed
parameters and better quality than no-name.

Lamp IKEA 7W has classic wiring like a Luxar 11W.
Component values are modified to a lower power.
Parts are enough voltage dimensed.
Failure was overburned one of filaments.
Lamp was on continuous for one year, which is over 8500 hours.
Life time corresponds to a label specifications.

Electronic ballast SINECAN 5 for two fluorescent tubes has identical circuit
like most of compact fluorescent lamps. Little differency is in powering
tubes before D6 diode and wiring of start capacitors C10 a C11 about tubes.
I don't understand exactly why this is wired this way. Ballast doesn't have
fuse, but only thin wire. Ballasts was broken due to blowed electrolytic
capacitors. It breaks transistors and resistors R3, R4, R5 and R6.

Philips Genie bulbs I am using for many years. I am satisfied with them.
Their advantage is very compact size of tube which allow installing
in to the lamp with small space for bulb. It lights up immediately after power-up.
I didn't see any negative effect on their lifetime.

Nuno Sucena Almeida succesfully repaired ellectronic ballast and sent me his
schematics which I now show to you. Schematics is very similar to many other
lamp ballasts. Interesting for me is using of voltage doubler because lamp
is for 120V but electronics is designed for 230V. Here is original authors article:
http://slug.blog.aeminium.org/2012/03/01/electronic-ballast-repair/